Door construction



May 20, 1941. H. ca. AINSWORTH DOOR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 11, 1937 1941. H. cs. AINSWORTH 2,242,499

DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 11, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 20,1941 UNITED STATES (PATENT OFFICE DOOR CONSTRUCTION Harry G. Ainsworth,Aurora, 11]., assixnor to Richards-Wilcox Manufacturing Company, Aurora,11]., a corporation of Illinois Application June 11, 1931, Serial No.141,667

3 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to door construction, and moreparticularly has to do with doors of the type commonly known as metalclad doors, and while in the illustrated construction the invention hasbeen shown as applied to multiple doors that are hinged together so asto open and close with a folding or sliding motion, such as thevertically extending doors or the socalled overhead doors that are nowcommonly used to close the doorways of garages and other buildings, itis tobe understood that the invention is not necessarily to .be limitedto such multiple door construction as it may readily be applied to theconstruction of single doors.

In the past, so far as I am aware, it has been the practice in themanufacture of metal clad doors to form the two main face plates of themetal casing of a plurality of metal sheets that two main sheet metalface plates, that are each are suitably connected together by soldering,lock 7 joint seams and the like, and also to provide in addition edgeand end sheets that are suitably connected to such face plates in thesame or similar manner, and as the various seams between the severalsheets making up the casing lessen while all-metal-doors are constructedfor use in certain situations, in the case of such doors it is necessaryin order to install them that special hardware be provided which makesit necessary touse special tools for installing such hardware, which ofcourse increases the cost of such doors and also the cost ofinstallation thereof. Also, both of these types of doors are relativelyheavy and are therefore not particularly adaptable for use inresidential garages where it is desirable that the doors be relativelylight in weight so that they may be easily and quickly opened and closedwithout undue effort on the part of the operator.

With the above in view, it is the principal object of the presentinvention to provide a metal clad door of this type in which the sheetmetal casing provides the necessary rigidity whereby the need ofproviding a solid wooden core is obviated and it is possible to use askeleton framework of adapted to form one entire face and oneside edgeof the door, and two sheet metal end caps suitably applied to suchskeleton framework.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improvedsash means for mounting a glass panel or panels in an opening in a metalclad door.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metal clad door inwhich the joint between the two main sheet metal plates is so formed asto provide an astragal or flange extending outwardly from the edge ofthe door adjacent one face I thereof that is adapted to lap over theface of the next adjacent door of a multiple door unit so as to coverthe joint at the meeting edges of such two adjacent doors.

Other objects and advantageous features of the present invention will beapparent from the following description of the preferred embodimentthereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a garage illustrating theapplication of the door of the present invention to vertically extendingfolding sliding doors and also to overhead folding sliding doors;

Figure 2 is a front face view of a door embodying the principles of thepresent invention, with the plate of the sheet metal casing forming oneface of the door broken away to show the skeleton framework of wood towhich the sheet metal casing is applied;

Figure 3 is a sectionalview, on an enlarged scale, taken approximatelyon the plane of the line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the construction ofthe window sash by which a glass panel or panels may be mounted in thedoor;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantiallyon the plane of the line l-4 of Figure 2 and showing the means forsecuring the end caps and the two main face plates of the sheet metalcasing to the wooden framework;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of two doors inpartly opened position, illustrating the astragal or flange formed as anintegral part of one door that overlaps the adjacent portion of thesecond door to cover the joint between the doors when the doors areclosed;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion ofthe outer front face of the door and illustrating the window sashconstruction; v I

Figure- 7 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion ofthe rear or inner face of the door, showing the manner of securing thetwo members of the window sash structure together after they are appliedin place in the opening in thedoor; I

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, showing the mannerof connecting together the ends of the angle bars that form the inner orrear section of the window sash; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale,showing the'bent over lip portions of the metal end capsthat fit overthe wooden framework and themanner in which the lips are secured to theframework inside of the main sheet metal face plates. .3

Referring to the drawings, indicates the front of a garage provided withtwo door openings, one,..0f which is closed by an overhead type of framein an opening in the door suitable wooden cross members 2| andvertically extending connecting members 22 positioned and secured inplace therebetween are provided around said opening, said members beingfastened in place by corrugated metal fasteners l8, as shown in Figure2,

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated'a sheet metal end cap25 provided with four integral lip members 26 (two of which are shown inFigures 4 and 9) that extend at'right angles to the main body portionthereof is applied over each end portion of the wooden framework. Theend caps are so formed as to fit tightly over the end of the woodenframework so that they'will hold in place while the main sheet multiplefolding slidingdoor, indicated as an entirety by thenum'eral 6,,whilethe other opening is closed by two multiple-door units of theverside ofthe door and connected to the door 9 by a plurality of hinges l[positioned on the outer ,tically extending folding. sliding type, eachof 1 faces of such doors and secured thereto by screws l2, while thedoors! and ll are connectedtogether by similar hingesfnot shown)positioned v on the inner faces of the doors as is usual inconstructions of this In the overhead type of folding door all of thehinges are positioned on the inner face of the doors, and, therefore,they do not show in the illustrated construction. I

The several door sections makingup the multiple door areiall of similarconstruction. and,-

therefore, a description herein of. the construction of one of such doorsections will sufllce. As

shown in Figure 2, the door is indicated as an entirety by the referencenumeral 9 and includes a skeletonframework 'of wood comprising sidemembrsli, endmembers l6 and intermediate cross brace members I!extending between the two side "frame members l5 intermediate theendmembers l6, all of which are suitably secured toether by means ofcorrugated metal fasteners l8. This wooden framework need not be made ofheavy material and it is not absolutely necessary that the several partsl5, l6 and I1 thereof be rigidly connected together,.as when the metalplates to be hereinafter described are applied aroundand secured to suchframework a rigid gether byqlock joint seams as shown at 3| and 32inFigure 5. It is to -be-noted, however, that the lock .iointseam ll ofthe door is so formed that it lies flushyagainstthe side edge of thedoor adjacent the face thereof 'that is covered by the faceplate 29,while the lock joint seam 32 is made, in the 'form of an astragal orflange adapted to overlap the adjacent door so as to close the joint atthe meeting edges of the doors when they are in closed position, aswill'be clearly apparent from the showing of Figure 5. Thisoverlappingastragal is formed by slightly offsetting outwardly the sheetmetal plate 28 as shown at 33 and extending the plate laterally beyondthezside edge of the door asshown at. The edge ofthe plate 29 is bentaround the edge of the door-and then outwardly at right angles to theside edge of the door, as shown at 35, and then the outer, edge portionof the astragal flange 34 is bent inwardly toward the opposite face ofthe door to form an inner flange 38. Then the portions 34 and 38 arelockthe portion 35 of the plate 28 between said portions 34 and 38 ofthe 'plate 28. The lock joint seam 3| is made in a similar way exceptthat it is pressed flat against the edge of the door.

After the plates 28 and 29 have been applied to the framework and overthe lip portions 26 of means and makes it unnecessary to use separateconstruction is provided. Therefore. according to the principles of thepresent invention, only .a relatively'light framework of wood, eitherrigid or non-rigid, as desired, is necessary. As shown,

additional wooden cross members I 9 of somewhat greater width than thebrace members I 1 extend between the two side frame members l 5 and aresecured thereto by metal fasteners I 8, such cross members beingprovided at all points where fastening means. Thus. according tomy'invention, a very strong and rigid construction of door is providedwithout the necessity of providing a.

, rigid wooden framework or core for the door,

it is necessary to secure hinges or other hardware to the door, asdescribed below. Also; in

all cases where it is desired to apply a window drawings and describedabove the as'the two large sheet metal plates or members that cover thetwo faces and two edges of the door provide a rigid and substantialstructure that is stronger than metal clad doors having face plates madeup of a plurality of sheets secured together. a

While I have shown in the preferred con;

struction in which the. end caps "are applied pressed tightly togetherto accompanying i to the ends of the framework before the face plates 28and 29 are applied, so that the lip portions 26 of the caps 25 liebetween the framework and the face plates, it is to be understood thatit falls within the scope of the present invention to apply the plates28 and 29 and end caps 25 to the door so that such end caps will overlapthe face plates. This latter construction is particularly advantageousin connection with the upper end of a door that is to be mounted on theoutside face of a wall, as the overlapping end cap will prevent rain andmoisture from entering between the face plates and the wooden framework.

When it is desired to provide the door with a glass panel or panels, themembers 2| and 22 above described are provided in the wooden frameworkbefore the sheet metal covering members 28 and 29 have been appliedthereover, and while it is preferable to provide the openings in thesheet metal plates 28 and 29 for the reception of the frame that holdsthe glass panel or panels before such plates are applied to the woodenframework, this is not essential, as the sheet metal may be cut outlater if desired, as will be readily appreciated.

The improved window sash construction for holding the glass panel orpanels in doors of this type includes an outer sash frame or membercomposed of four angle iron members or bars, each indicated as anentirety by the numeral 45, that are substantially Z-shaped in crosssection and are joined together at their ends by welded miter joints, asat 46 in Figure 6. In the construction illustrated this sash frame isshown as provided with vertically extending partition pieces in theformof T-shaped angle members 41 that are welded, as at 48 and 49, attheir upper and lower ends to the upper and lower Z-shaped bars 45 ofthe frame, but it is to be understood that such partition pieces may bepositioned horizontally, or where only one glass panel is desired theymay be omitted entirely. This outer sash frame is of such size as to fltsnugly within the opening provided in the door with the intermediateportions SI of the Z-shaped angle bars 45 abutting against the woodenframework formed by the horizontal and vertical members 2| and 22 beforedescribed. The outer flanges 52 of the Z-shaped angle bars 45 extendoutwardly from such opening and lie flush against the outer surface ofthe outer covering plate 28, and the inner flanges53 of such angle barsextend inwardly to provide an abutment against which a pane of glass 54is adapted to rest when placed in the frame as hereinafter described.This outer window sash section is held in place in the opening in thedoor by an inner sash 'sec-. tion comprising four angle bars 55, theends of which are welded together in the manner illustrated in Figure 8.The outer surface of one flange 56 of each angle iron frame member 55comprising the inner sash frame is adapted to abut against the woodenframework formed by the members 2| and 22, and the free edge 51 of eachof such flanges is adapted to abut against the adjacent flange 53 of theZ-shaped angle bars as shown in Figure 3, while the flange 58 of each ofthe angle bars 55 extends outwardly from the opening and lies againstthe outer surface of the inner covering plate 29 as shown in saidfigure. The inner and outer window frame members are placed in positionin the opening in the plates 28 and 29 and are secured together bywelding the flanges 56 of the frame bars 55 of the inner sash member tothe flanges meeting surfaces, as shown at 6| in Figures 3 V and 7. Itwill thus be seen that the flanges 58 of the inner frame section act torestrain outward movement of the outer frame section, while the flanges52 of the outer frame section act to restrain inward movement of suchouter frame section, whereby the sash is held securely in position insaid opening. By this construction the window sash is securely fixed inposition without the use of bolts, rivets, screws or other securingmeans which may become loosened 'in use. 1

The intermediate sections 5| of the Z-shaped angle bar frame members 45are provided at spaced points therealong with suitable holes 63extending therethrough for receiving glaziers points or clips 64 bywhich the panes of glass 54 are held in position after which the putty,indicated by 61, is applied. Also, where T-bars are used for partitionmembers such bars are provided with similar holes 53 to receive clips 54as will be readily understood.

The hinges II and other hardware such as the latch H of the right handvertical door unit I and the lifting handles 12 of the overhead doorunit 5 of Figure 1 may readily be applied to door units made up of doorsconstructed in accordance with the present invention by any carpenterwithout the use of special tools, such as would be necessary if theentire door was made of metal. According to the present invention, thewooden framework is provided with frame members I9 underlying the pointswhere the hinges II are to be secured, and similar wood blocks ormembets are provided at every other point where the door hardware is tobe attached, as for example, under the latch 1| and the handles 12. Inattaching the hardware it is only necessary for a carpenter to puchholes through the sheet metal casing with an ordinary awl or punch, suchas all carpenters use, and then drive the screws l2 into the woodunderlying the metal, as will be readily understood.

While I have shown and described above the preferred constructionembodying the principles of my invention, it is to be understood that myinvention is not to be limited to the specific details described above,but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in thepractice of the broader aspects of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a metal clad door of the class described, the combination of twospaced apart sheet metal plates forming front and rear face portions ofthe door and having a window opening therein, a skeleton framework ofwood supporting said plates and having frame members outlining saidwindow opening, and a window sash disposed in said opening, said sashcomprising a front rectangular frame and a rear rectangular frame, oneof said frames being composed of Z-shaped bars and the other frame beingcomposed of L- shaped bars, the outer flanges of said Z-shaped bars andthe outer flanges of said L-shaped bars extending outwardly over saidsheet metal plates on opposite sides of the door, the web flanges ofsaid Z-shaped bars and of said L-shaped bars being welded togetherintermediate the outer surfaces of the door to join said front and backframes into an integral structure, a mullion strip composed of aT-shaped bar dividing said sash, the lateral flanges of said T-shapedbar being welded at the ends of said bar to the inner flange of saidZ-shaped bars, glass panes seated against the inner flanges of said 2-pedbars and the lateral flangesof sai -shaped bars sockets in g the webportions of said Z-shaped barsand of if said T-shaped bars, andremovable retaining pins engaging in said sockets for retaining saidglass' bars and the other frame being composed of l'.-

shaped bars, the outer flanges of said lshaped bars and the outerflanges of said L-shaped bars extending outwardly over said sheet metalplates on opposite sides of the door, the web flanges of said 1-.shapedbars and of said L-shaped bars 'being welded together intermediate theouter surfaces of the closure to join said front and back frames into anintegral structure, a mullion strip composed of a T-shaped bar dividingsaid sash, the lateral flanges or said T-shaped bar being weldedat theends of said bar to the inner flanges of said Z-shaped bars, and glasspanes seated against the inner flanges oi said Z-shaped bars and thelateral flanges oTsaid T-shaped bars.

3. In a metal clad closure of the class described, the combination oftwo spaced apart sheet metal plates forming front and rear face portionsof the closure and having a window opening therein, a skeleton frameworkof wood supporting said plates and having frame members outlining saidwindow opening, and a window sash disposed in said opening, said sashcomprising a front rectangular frame and a rear rectangular frame, oneof said frames being composed of Z-shaped bars and the other frame being'composed of L-shaped bars, the outer flanges oi said z-shaped bars andthe outer flanges of said L-shaped bars extending outwardly over saidsheet metal plates on opposite sides of the door, the web flanges ofsaid Z-shape'd bars and of said L-shaped bars being welded togetherintermediate the outer surfaces of the' closure to join said front andback frames into an integral structure, and a glass pane seated againstthe inner flanges of said Z-shaped bars.

HARRY G. AINSWORTH.

